Easy Microwave Potato Chips

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ teaspoon salt

1 potato, sliced paper thin (peel optional)

Directions:

Pour the vegetable oil into a plastic bag (a produce bag works well). Add the potato slices, and shake to coat.  

Coat a large dinner plate lightly with oil or cooking spray. Arrange potato slices in a single layer on the dish.

Cook in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned (if not browned, they will not become crisp). Times will vary depending on the power of your microwave. Remove chips from plate, and toss with salt (or other seasonings). Let cool. Repeat process with the remaining potato slices. You will not need to keep oiling the plate.

Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 white corn syrup
2 cups crunchy peanut butter
4 cups rice cereal

Directions:

In a large saucepan, stir the sugar and the syrups together over medium heat. Remove from the heat and quickly add the peanut butter, continuing to stir until the mixture is fully combined. Add the rice cereal and mix well. Shape the mixture into palm-size balls with your hands. Transfer to waxed paper. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Homemade Cracker Jacks

Ingredients:

1/2 cup un-popped popcorn
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 brown paper sandwich bag
1 piece of adhesive tape
1/2 cup shelled peanuts
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put the popcorn in a brown paper bag (if you're using 2/3 cup, you might want to split it into two paper bags), pour in 4 teaspoons of olive oil (or more for the larger amount), and close the bag with a piece of tape. Heat it on high in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Put it in a bowl. Add the peanuts to the popcorn.

For the caramel, heat the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, molasses and salt in a pan on the stove until the butter is melted, and the sugar is smooth and not grainy anymore.

Pour this mixture over the popcorn and peanuts, stirring well. Pour it all onto a cookie sheet and place in oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring once or twice. (It will be gooey and wet.)

Stir occasional and let air dry until crisp, then store in an airtight container until the first pitch. (The cookie sheet will look dauntingly dirty, but hot water will easily erase all traces of sticky caramel sauce.)

 

Bacon Popcorn

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil
1 pound thick-cut bacon
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
½ tsp. salt
6 cups popcorn


Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add bacon strips and cook until crisp, turning occasionally. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate; reserve 2 tablespoons bacon drippings.

Crumble bacon. Toss bacon, drippings, maple syrup, black pepper, and salt with popcorn. Spread popcorn mixture in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes, rotating trays halfway through, stirring occasionally.  Serve hot.